Wildlife Conservation

Be the Difference you wish to see in the World

Mahatma Gandhi

The Conservation Ball

As a part of Crista’s Sporting Foundation she has set up ‘The Conservation Ball’. The idea came about to try to make a difference for the areas and causes that hold a very unique place in Crista’s heart. Fed up of talking about it she set up an event to be held at the Hurlingham Club on the 1st March 2018.

The inspirational evening will strive to raise funds to protect, “ecosystems, environments, people and wildlife in Africa”. Guests will enjoy a drinks reception, three-course dinner and entertainment show. The evening is set to be a “bit different,” with her African heritage being at the forefront of mind, safari chic will be the theme, and brief information about the charities that include Galana Wildlife Conservancy, Friends From Ireland and Rhino Ark will be provided during the evening’s events.

Please click here for more information and booking form, alternatively you can book online HERE

Galana Wildlife Conservancy

Crista sits on the board of the Galana Wildlife Conservancy (GWC), which was set up in 2008, as a 60,000 acre safe haven that boarder the eastern side of Tsavo East National Park. Having grown up in this area, Galana is a harsh arid terrain, where daily survival is a challenge and much of its Wildlife seeks refuge along the Galana River. But it still hosts some of the last of Africas big Tuskers, who come for the minerals in the lali hills, which is one of the spectacles of Galana.

GWC is a partnership set up with the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) and together they have embarked on a mission, with a lead warden and six scouts to protect the area, creating infrastructure and sustainability through dams and roads for access. Crista got involved from the onset. She was young, enthusiastic and felt ready to try to make a difference.

The animals need somewhere they can continue to roam as they have done for generations, and feel protected whilst doing so. It is never easy; there is a constant fight against poachers, charcoal smugglers and illegal grazers. Constant surveillance is key and being relentless in our plight to try and protect all of the beautiful animals, small or large, nocturnal or diurnal.

If you are interested in helping to support this very worthy cause please click HERE

Friends From Ireland

Crista holds the role as the International Representative on the board for Friends From Ireland (FFI), one of Galana Wildlife Conservancy’s Charity partners, together we have built a school (nursery, primary and just completed the secondary in September 2017), along with a dispensary that now provides sanitation and health support to people in the area for a 100-mile radius. There is Governmental support both in the school providing some teachers and with some of the drugs brought in to the dispensary. However, we are glad to note that with our partnership with ADC there has been a complete eradication in women lost during child birth, huge reduction in people killed in human-animal conflict and a dramatic fall in malaria/tropical disease cases.

Additionally to the philanthropic support on offer from FFI, they have also been able to lend their further support by embarking on a partnership between the University College Dublin students, and the Pwani University (local Kilifi university based in Kenya). This partnership enables researchers of various levels and expertise to use the Galana Wildlife Conservancy to gather data and build their conservation experience before various submissions of their Masters or PHD thesis.

Rhino Ark

Kenyans are known the world over for three things, ingenuity, stupidity and our love of remote and beautiful places. In a streak of brilliance the fore fathers decided to create an off-road 4×4 event that combines all three. It became known as the Rhino Charge….

Many regarded 2017 as the hardest Rhino Charge ever held in its 29 year history. With a recently borrowed vehicle off a friend, hopes were running high as 62 teams started the event in Marsabit (far into the Northern District). Three hours into the event and crossing two of the most inhospitable and densely vegetated ravines imaginable, it was clear that the event was going to be a car breaker! In the course of the day, 40 cars were taken out by the terrain (12 had rolled) and 21 didn’t manage to complete the 13 checkpoint course. One team did complete it and you (we hope) have sponsored it.

By sheer luck, we managed to win both the overall Rhino Charge and the Victor Ludorum. A very prestigious prize given to the team with a combination of the highest funds raised and shortest distance travelled over all checkpoints. Being suckers for punishment, we are out yet again to retain the title and the Victor Ludorum in 2018. Moreover thanks to the generosity and deep pockets of all our supporters we raised 1,591,570/- Kenyan Shillings for conservation, bring our total to over 8.3 million shillings (£64,000) for this fantastic charity.